Nass Named CEO And Executive Director Of Port Of Gulfport
The board of commissioners of the Mississippi State Port Authority (MSPA) has named Jon Nass the new CEO and executive director of the Port of Gulfport.
“After nearly an eight-month process, the MSPA commission is very pleased to announce we have selected a new executive director to lead the Port of Gulfport team,” said E.J. Roberts, president of the board. “Jon’s extensive background includes port management, economic development, homeland security and policy advising, making him an ideal candidate to lead our state port.”
Nass comes to Gulfport from the Maine Port Authority, where he has served as CEO for just over 2.5 years. While there, Nass helped develop the only container terminal in northern New England, raising funds for port and rail infrastructure in the process. He also helped establish a public-private partnership to build Maine’s only publicly –available, climate-controlled storage space, which supports the state’s food and beverage industries.
“I am thrilled to join the Port of Gulfport as its next CEO and executive director, leading what is an outstanding organization with an experienced board of commissioners, a dedicated team, modern infrastructure and a diversified revenue base,” Nass said. “The MSPA’s commitment to promoting economic development for the region—through the movement of freight, capturing the enormous potential of the blue economy, promoting workforce development and being a responsible member of the community—all attracted me to this position. I look forward to getting to work.”
Prior to his time with the Maine Port Authority, Nass served as deputy commissioner at the Maine Department of Transportation, worked as a senior policy advisor in the Maine governor’s office, and spent seven years on Capitol Hill, most recently serving as counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security. Before that, Nass also served the country as a member of a U.S. Department of State Provincial Reconstruction Team as a field officer embedded in a U.S. Army infantry battalion in the city of Baqubah, Iraq.
Nass’s tentative first day at the Port of Gulfport will be June 1.
